Austenitic Cast Iron

What is Austenitic Cast Iron?

This describes a range of cast irons with nickel, and to a lesser extent chromium and copper as the alloying elements. This produces a metallic matrix that is austenitic at ambient temperatures and can be produced either in a flake or spheroidal graphite form.

History
Commercially available from the mid 1900s. National standard introduced in 1962.

Terminology
Austenitic cast iron and Ni Resist refer to the same range of alloyed irons.

Properties
Available in grey or ductile iron grades. Good scaling resistance. High resistance to heat. Low thermal expansion. Good thermal shock resistance. Good corrosion resistance in sea water and alkaline liquids and gases. Some grades have good corrosion resistance in weak acids. Good cold toughness and resistance to erosion. Good machineability. Some ductile grades can be welded. Some grades are non magnetic. Can be cheaper than an equivalent steel casting.

Uses
Pumps and valves. Turbocharger housings and exhaust gas manifolds. Low temperature environments such as refrigeration. Gas turbine housings. Glass moulds. Vessels for caustic alkalis. Parts requiring dimensional stability. Parts requiring low magnetic permeability. Piston rings and liners.

Material Standards
BS 3468, BS EN 13835 and ISO 2892 Equivalent DIN, ASTM, SAE and other national standards.

If you need to order a casting in austenitic cast iron and are confused by its description or it has a specification you don t recognise on a drawing, please contact us as there is a good chance we will recognise it. I f we dont, we have access to a world wide data base that should enable us to identify the material and offer the equivalent grade within ISO 2892.

Tel: +44(0)114 249 4977 www.durhamfoundry.com castings@durhamfoundry.com